Minister Says FG Not Ready To Reopen Borders

The Minister of Agriculture, Mohammed Sabo Nanono, has said Nigeria borders will remain under lock and key.

Nanono disclosed this, on Saturday, at the flag-off ceremony of the distribution of agricultural inputs to farmers affected by the recent flood in Kebbi State.

He explained that the Federal Government was not ready to reopen the borders, so as to boost the country’s agricultural sector.

“Nigerian farmers have been performing well by producing such food items as rice, millet, guinea corn, and Shea butter, among others. We are not ready to reopen the borders, which is why the Federal Government is ready to support the dry season farming to regain what farmers lost to the flood disaster,” the Minister said.

Read also: FG Reveals Plans To Reopen Borders

In his remarks, Chairman, Senate Comimittee on Aviation, Adamu Aliero, also supported the continued closure of borders, to encourage the growth of local rice farming.

He commended both federal and state governments for supporting flood victims in the state.

The Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu Abubakar, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Col Ismail Yombe Dabai (rtd.), thanked the Federal Government for the kind gesture and promised equal distribution of the items.

He appealed to the Federal Government to increase the quantity of the items, to enable them to go round the affected people.

Recall that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, while responding to a question on the continued closure of the land borders especially at a time the African Continental Free Trade Agreement is being prepped for take-off, had said that the government was working with neighbouring countries on the terms of reopening the border.